I'm Gonna Kick His Ass
by HelloLady364
Summary: Deeks trusts his team...he really does. But when one of the most important people in his life is threatened, the trust he places in his team members comes into question. One thing is for sure, they're all gonna kick his ass for lying to them. / Det. Deeks has a secret and it's about to get out, leaving Kensi wondering how well she truly knows her best friend.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

Hey all! I know it's been while since I've written anything but I place the blame on school...

Anywhozerz, I wrote this little curse this morning and thought to just upload it. I can't promise that I'll be able to update as often as I like but I promise that won't be abandoning it.

This fic isn't necessarily related to the others that I've written, although it does have a similar storyline. In Gone and Secret, Deeks' sister is an adult named Sunny with a 4 year old daughter. I thought it would be fun to give him a teenage sister instead and just see where it takes me as I write.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

-LINE BREAK-

Today would be a good day.

Deeks could feel it in the air. Everyone was happy, everything was going great. He was in a good place and nothing could take that from him. As he waltzed into the bullpen that morning, even the others noticed that he had a bit more of a pep in his step.

"Good morning, everyone!" Deeks exclaimed, setting his bag down on his desk and heading to the coffee machine behind him.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Kensi asked quizzically, eyeing her partner.

"Today is amazing! I can feel it," He answered enthusiastically.

"Yeah, keep saying that until we get a case," Sam commented disbelievingly as he worked on some report or another.

"You all," Deeks pointed as he walked back to his seat and plopped down. "Are just pessimistic."

"It's not pessimism, Deeks," Callen butted in. "Its realism."

"Says the team's residential pessimist," Deeks smiled teasingly at the older man.

Just as Callen was about to respond, a whistle sounded from above the stairs.

"We got a case!" Eric yelled as the team made their way up.

"What? No witty catchphrase this time?" Kensi joked with the specialist as she passed him on the stairs.

"Unfortunately no, there's nothing funny about this one..."

-LINE BREAK-

"Laurel Perkins and Jackson Hemridge," Nell began once they were all settled around the operations table. "Both were eighteen years old."

Clicking a few keys, Nell brought up two pictures of the kids, each wearing blue graduation gowns and caps. "They were set to graduate from Los Angeles High School in a little over two weeks."

Deeks stiffened as Nell mentioned the high school and graduation ceremony. Kensi turned, giving him a quizzical look that he refused to reciprocate. Glancing back at the pictures on the screen, the two teens looked like average kids. The girl, Laurel, had wavy light brown hair that swept down her shoulders in a regal look. Her graduation cap sat atop her head like a crown and on her face she wore a wide confident smile. Jackson's features were a bit tamer but also reeked of confidence. He had sun-kissed blonde spiky hair and butch frame that depicted most-likely athletic extracurricular activities.

"They were the typical cute senior couple," Eric explained. "She was a cheerleader and he was the football team's star running back as well as the head of the cross country team.

"They were found early this morning in an alleyway across the street from a pizza place that witnesses report seeing them in earlier. A jogger saw them and called the police. Authorities arrived around 9:00 and contacted their parents and the school."

"It's a sad story, but why is this an NCIS case?" Callen questioned the two analysts.

"Jackson Hemridge was scheduled to attend boot camp after graduation and then enlist in the marines. His father was a naval commander that was honorarily discharged due to poor health, and his older brother is currently away on deployment... His grandfather and great grandfather also served, from what I can tell he must have been a bit of a military brat."

"Kid after my own heart," Kensi muttered with a sad smile.

Deeks gave her a sideways glance, but again refused to meet her gaze. This was getting out of control, Kensi though. He was in such a good mood this morning, and now all of a sudden he would barely even look at her. The fact that these two kids had died was sad and all, but it was their jobs, Deeks had to be more than accustomed to this by now.

"What about the school?" Sam asked.

"After the news broke, they released all of the students and most of the staff early," Nell clarified. "Hemridge and Perkins' teachers are still present as well as a few students who saw them last or knew them personally. LAPD asked them to stay for further questioning."

"Alright," Callen sighed, taking the charge. "Deeks and Kensi will check out the crime scene while Sam and I head over to the school."

"Sounds good," Kensi replied. "Send us the address guys?"

"No problem," Eric responded, glancing at his tablet to do just that.

With that, the four agents left the building. Kensi noticed the worried look on Deeks' face and even the warning glance that Hetty sent him from her office across the building... Something was seriously wrong with her partner and she could already bet that he didn't want to talk about it... This was going to be a long day.

-LINE BREAK-

And that's the first chapter! Thanks for reading my awesome peeps! Please review and tell me what you like or don't like. If you have ideas that you'd like me to incorporate or make a separate fic about, PM me or just leave it in a review. Thanks again!


	2. Chapter 2

"You good, partner?" Kensi looked over to the passenger seat where Deeks was currently staring out the window.

"What? Yeah, of course," Deeks responded, whipping his head to face her. His face then contorted into his usual goofy smile, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've just been quiet since we left," Kensi explained, glancing at him before fixing her eyes back on the road.

"You worried about me, Fern?" Deeks teased.

"You know what?" Kensi said as she pulled into a parking spot across the street from the crime scene. "I am worried about you. We're partners, Deeks. If there's something bothering you, I want to help."

Deeks stared into her eyes, noting the truth to her words and the obvious concern that was bubbling beneath her surface. He wished he could tell her, but she'd never forgive him if he did. He should've told her years ago, but even now, he just couldn't get the words to come out.

"Thanks Kens, but I'm good," He threw her his most convincing smile, although the narrowing of her eyes led him to believe that she wasn't buying it.

"Okay, just know that you can tell me anything," She responded, pushing the door open and stepping out of the car.

 **-LINE BREAK-**

"I can't imagine what these kids are going through," Sam muttered as he and Callen walked into the school. "Got up this morning to learn and then heard that two of their friends were murdered."

"That's life, Sam," Callen responded. "No one should have to experience it, but these are the kind of events that shape a kid into who they'll become."

"That's certainly true," Came a deep voice from behind the two agents. "I'm Michael Hardwood, the principal...The kids tend to have quite a lot of fun with my last name, if you can imagine." The older man chuckled a little, extending his hand to the two agents.

"NCIS Agent Sam Hannah," Sam smiled, giving the man a firm shake. "This is my partner, Agent Callen."

Callen shook the man's hand as well, offering a kind smile. Mr. Hardwood looked to be in his early 60s, with streaks of silver in his brown hair. His face was kind and gentle with only small hints of sadness at the day's events.

"Laurel and Jackson were model students, I can't believe that they're gone," Mr. Hardwood explained.

"You knew them personally?" Callen inquired.

"A bit more than the others, yes. I used to coach the football team before I became the principal so I've always taken a little more interest in our star players... And of course Laurel was a straight A student, she was on track to graduate with Honors."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Sam commented. "If the teachers and students aren't ready to talk we can come back a little later, give them some time to come to terms with the news?"

"No no, of course not," Mr. Hardwood shook his head. "I spoke to them and we all agree that it's best to just get this over with as soon as possible... The detectives from the LAPD told us that you would want to speak to those who were particularly close to Jackson and Laurel?"

Sam and Callen confirmed the principal's statement with a nod of their heads.

"Well, we asked the football and track teams to stay after of course. Our sports teams are a family and Jackson was a very loved member. Laurel stayed after school almost every day with either the cheerleaders, student government, or National Honors Society. Like I said, she was an amazing student that was on track for great things."

"We'll try to make it as quick as we can," Callen said.

"Thank you, I'm sure the students would appreciate that. The cheerleaders are in the gym, football players are on the field, and the runners are out on the track. They all find it a bit easier to cope with the loss if they're practicing," Mr. Hardwood explained. Sam nodded in understanding.

"Student government and the Honors...?" Callen questioned, forgetting the name of the group the principal had mentioned.

"National Honors Society," Mr. Hardwood provided with a smile. "They're both in the cafeteria. If you can't get to everyone today, we'll just ask a few people to come back tomorrow."

"We'll do our best," Callen said, shaking the man's hand once more. "Thank you for your patience."

The man walked away, disappearing into his office and leaving the two agents alone in the hallway.

"I'll take the sports teams," Sam offered.

"Why do you get to talk to the jocks?" Callen asked with faux offense.

"Because G, jocks are more likely to talk to one of their own," He responded with a teasing smile.

"And what? You don't think I could pass as a sports guy?"

"Maybe..." San stepped back, making a deal of looking over Callen's frame. "You could pass as a swimmer, or a tennis player...if you hit the bars a little more often, you might even convince people you're a gymnast."

"Wow Sam, low blow..." Callen muttered with a chuckle as he walked towards the cafeteria.

 **-LINE BREAK-**

And that's chapter two! I know I'm drawing it out a bit, but I'll try and get to the actual plot in the next chapter. Anywhozerz, thanks for reading, my awesome peeps! Remember to review!


	3. Chapter 3

As Callen approached the cafeteria, he couldn't help but take notice of the prevailing silence that engulfed the large room. He didn't remember much from his teenage years or from the millions of different high schools he was forced to attend while drifting around the foster care system. But he did recall that in each and every one, the cafeteria was never quiet. There were about twenty or so kids sitting uncomfortably, scattered across a fw different tables. Three counselors circled the room, offering their comforting hand to the heartbroken teens. Just then a young woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, approached the agent.

"You must be Agent Callen," She smiled sadly, offering her hand. "We were told NCIS would be over to ask a few questions. I'm Kriss Guerrero."

"That's me," Callen smiled back, shaking her outstretched palm. "The kids seem pretty shaken up... I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks, I can't imagine what the students are feeling right now," Kriss shook her head, glancing at the teenagers before turning back to face Callen. "I'm studying education at UCLA, I volunteer as a mentor for the kids...Jackson and Laurel were amazing, I can't believe they're gone."

"We'll find who did this, Kriss."

"That won't bring them back…" Kriss muttered under her breath, earning a sideways glance from the agent. "Anyway, the students all agreed to just get this over with as soon as possible, but I think it would be best to speak to them two or three at a time...moral support, you know?"

"Of course, I'll try to be quick."

 **-LINE BREAK-**

The first students were from student government, both informing Callen that Laurel was a wonderful friend and one of the smartest in the entire senior class. For the next hour, he received the same information; great kid, great friend, real smart. There were only two students left to speak to and Callen was beginning to get discouraged. So far, he had yet to receive anything that could contribute to the case...maybe speaking to the kids so soon after the accident wasn't such an awesome idea after all.

As he sat down with two girls from NHS, Callen braced himself for the tears.

"Hi, I'm Agent Callen with NCIS, I need to ask you two a few questions about your friend, Laurel," Callen recited as he offered his hand to the two young girls.

"I'm Katie," The first girl offered. Her hair was short, straight, and blonde with a red bow pinning it back from her face at the right side. Her pale face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were red and puffy. "I can't believe Laurel is gone, we were so excited about graduation."

"Laurel was the most excited out of all of us," The other girl, Yanira, commented. She had long, brown, straight hair and tan skin. "We were decorating our graduation caps just last week… My carpets are still full of glitter." She chuckled sadly at the memory.

"We'll find whoever did this to your friend," Callen promised. "But first, I need to know whether or not Laurel was acting strange in the days leading up to last night."

"Not really," Yanira answered. "She and Jackson were fighting a lot than they usually do, but-"

The girl stopped suddenly as Katie nudged her in the side, giving her an odd look.

"But...what? Why were they fighting?" Callen probed.

"It has nothing to do with what happened," Katie explained. "It's just… there's this girl, Alex…"

"She has some sort of thing for Jackson, that's all. And Laurel was beginning to think that he may have had a thing for her too." Yanira provided.

"Laurel is our best friend, and we stand behind her for everything," Katie said. "She and Jackson had been together since middle school. If she thought Jackson was cheating on her, then he was."

"As much as we dislike Alex for taking Jack from Laurel, I can't believe she would do something like this though," Yanira added quiety. "After all, I mean, Laurel and Alex didn't like each other from the beginning, but Alex would never kill anyone…"

"Why didn't Laurel and Alex every get along?" Callen questioned.

"Different walks of life, ragingly different personalities, you name it." Katie explained.

"Laurel used to pick on her a little when we were kids," Yanira said. "But we grew out of that, we realized it was wrong and we stopped. Alex just kept a grudge I guess."

"Is Alex here right now? I don't think I've gotten a chance to speak to her." Callen said while glancing around the room.

"She should be, she's in NHS with us." Katie said.

"I'll find her. Thank you, both of you, for your time."

The girls nodded before rising to leave as Kriss approached the agent once more.

"Get any good information?" She asked, sitting down in the seat that the two teenagers had just vacated.

"Yes," Callen smiled at the young woman. "I believe that I may have missed a student though...Alex?"

"Oh yeah, I saw her around earlier," Kriss furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm not sure where she ran off to, I'll call her."

Kriss reached into her back pocket, pulling out her cellphone. "Hey Alex," She said when the caller picked up. "Where are you? ...Alex? Alex?"

Kriss pulled the phone from her ear. "She hung up. Must be bad reception."

"You know, don't worry about it. I'll find her." Callen said, standing up.

"I'll come with you, she couldn't have left school." Kriss began walking, gesturing for Callen to follow her lead.

They walked down the hall, stopping at the girl's bathroom. "I'll check in here. If you keep walking out those doors, Alex' locker is on the left, she may have just needed to grab something."

"Okay, thanks." Callen nodded before following her directions.

As Callen exited the metal double doors, he turned to the right, spotting a small girl that couldn't be more than seventeen years old. She had dirty blonde-brownish coloured, wavy hair that reached just below her shoulders. She turned to face Callen as he exited the building, piercing him with her bright green eyes. She wore baggy jeans that reached the middle of her shins and a purple flannel shirt. The hair in front of her face was pulled back with a small rubber band and the rest framed her strong jawbones. There was something familiar about her features, something Callen couldn't quite put his fingers on. It was almost as if he had seen her before, but he knew he had never met this girl in his life.

The girl slamming her locker closed is what brought him out of his revere. She shouldered her blue bookbag, turning to face him fully. "Do you need something?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"You wouldn't be Alex by any chance, would you?" Callen asked, still trying to place where he had seen her before.

"And you are…?"

"Agent Callen," He introduced himself, flashing his badge and I.D. to confirm his words. The girl's face changed slightly to show an emotion that Callen couldn't place; surprise, recognition, worry…?

"No...I'm uh… I'm not Alex." She finally breathed out, shifting her eyes anywhere but to his face. "But I saw her going into the gym a little while ago, you might be able to catch her if you hurry."

"Okay, thanks…" Callen said, waiting for her to say her name.

She didn't however, simply turning with a nervous smile and walking away. Suddenly, Kriss burst through the doors. "I didn't see her in the bathroom, did you-"

Kriss stopped mid-sentence, catching a glance at the back of the girl as she walked away from them. "That's her!" Kriss nudged him. "Hey Alex, Agent Callen wanted to ask you a few questions about Laurel and Jackson."

The girl only kept walking, speeding up her pace a little and refusing to look back.

"Stay here," Callen muttered to Kriss. He could tell that this was going to be a chase, and there was no need for Kriss to follow him. The fact that Alex had lied about who she was and now was attempting to leave without giving him her side of the story meant she knew more than she wanted to let them know.

"Alex," Callen called as he slowly began to follow her. "It's just a few questions, nothing more nothing less."

Suddenly, the young girl broke out into a full sprint, turning the corner without slowing down, just like a pro. Callen sighed, jogging after her while reaching into his pocket to dial Sam, telling him to pull around with the car.

Within a few seconds, Alex' path was blocked off by Sam's black charger, leaving her the only option of running into a dead end alley between the wall of the school and a fence. Shooting Sam an eyeroll, Callen followed the teen into the alley.

"Nowhere to go from here, Alex." Callen pointed out.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious, I didn't notice." She retorted, glancing around for some way out.

Callen approached with his hands in the air, showing that he didn't intend to hurt her. "We're federal agents, we just want to ask you a few questions about what happened last night. Judging by your reaction, you probably know more than you're letting on."

"I don't want to talk," She responded, backing into the wall as Callen walked towards her.

"We just want to get to the bottom of what happened to Laurel and Jackso-" Callen put his hand on her shoulder to offer some comfort, however she quickly grabbed his wrist twisting behind his back and kicking him in the back of his right knee, forcing him to the concrete.

Bracing herself to run, Alex felt a large hand grab her left wrist. There was no escaping this grip as her hands were pulled around her back and cuffed together.

"Dammit," Callen muttered as he got to his feet, rubbing his wrist.

"She's barely a hundred pounds, G," Sam smirked at his partner as he ushered the girl towards the car.

"Yeah well, she has a strong kick."

"I'm sure…"

"Why don't we let her take you down and see what you think then?"

"Kensi and Deeks are gonna hear about this," Sam said with a chuckle, failing to notice the slight twitch in the girl when he mentioned the names.

"Just drive." Callen commanded as he got into the car.

 **-LINE BREAK-**

 **Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I'm working on the next chapter, not sure when I'll be able to get it up. School's out for now, but I am taking summer classes so I don't know how busy I'm gonna be for the foreseeable future. Thanks for sticking with it anyway. Remember to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm not eighteen yet, you know? You can't do this to me without my legal guardian!" Alex sneered at the two men as they gently pushed her into the boat shed.

"Well if you'd give us your name, it would be a lot easier to find a legal guardian," Callen told her.

"I'm not saying anything until I get my phone call," She protested as Sam hooked one of her cuffs to the table inside the interrogation room.

As the partners exited the room, Sam couldn't help but chuckle. "Teenager...goodness, they're difficult."

"She's smart...too smart for her own good," Callen agreed. "Deeks and Kensi on their way?"

"Yeah, Nell claims that Hetty wants us to wait until they get here before proceeding."

"Huh," Callen twisted his mouth as he stared at the fidgety girl inside the room. Hetty putting a stoplight on a case wasn't exactly common. There was something about this girl that he couldn't quite place... she just seemed so familiar and he couldn't figure out why.

The sound of the door clicking and footsteps inside the shed alerted the agents to Deeks and Kensi's arrival.

"What's going on?" Kensi questioned with Deeks trailing slowly behind her. "Nell said that Hetty wanted us here before the interrogation."

"Kid tried to run before we could talk to her at the school, Nell and Eric are running facial recognition," Sam explained while gesturing to the girl on the monitor.

"That won't be necessary," Deeks mumbled.

"You recognize her?" Callen whipped his head around to the detective, hoping that he could shed some light on where his familiarity with the girl came from.

Deeks looked at him warily, as if he were dreading the conversation that was sure to come within the next minute. His hesitation brought Sam and Kensi to shift their bodies towards him as well, waiting for his response.

"I um...I-I want to talk to her first...before anything else, I need to talk to her."

"Deeks," Kensi breathed out, worrying about her partner. He had been acting strange ever since the briefing this morning, but this was a new height of weird. He barely spoke to her on the ride back from the crime scene and she could swear she saw him hyperventilating when Nell called to inform them of Hetty's request. Whatever was going on, it was serious and Deeks was freaking out.

"I'm good," He glanced at her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "In sorry for not telling you guys sooner, but I need to talk to her...please."

"What's going on, Deeks?" Sam said, walking around the table to place a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"You'll find out once I speak to her, but please..." He said with labored breath, his eyes pleading with all the emotion he couldn't convey in his voice.

"We can't let you in there," Callen said, trying to get a read on Deeks. "We can't let anyone in there until her parents are contacted."

"Good luck with that," Deeks scoffed with a humorless laugh. "Her parents are dead to her. Dead. You won't find them, and even if you did, I'd never let you bring them back into her life."

"Deeks, what the living hell is going on?" Kensi questioned, frustration creeping its way into her voice. She was worried about her partner, her friend, her...something more. It angered her that whatever he was dealing with, he was under the impression that he had to go through it alone.

"You know, why don't you ask Hetty?" Deeks turned to her, letting a bit of annoyance sneak its way into his tone. "Apparently, she felt the need to bring Alex into this. The only person in my life that is separated from the horror and violence of my job. The only person that I have been able to protect from everything. She felt the need to bring her into this, because the almighty Henrietta Lange knows exactly what's best for everyone! Even when it's none of her damn business!"

By the time he was finished, he was shaking with rage. The three agents couldn't help but realize that this girl wasn't just someone he happened to recognize. Whoever she was, she was important. Important enough for him to risk the wrath of Hetty to protect her.

"I'll have you know, Mr. Deeks, that the lives of each and every one of my agents is my business." Hetty's voice sounded through the room from the monitor. The four turned to face the screen, noticing Hetty's small frame and the shocked and worried looks of Eric and Nell as they stood behind her.

"I'm not one of your agents, Hetty." Deeks' words dripped with anger as he stared straight at her through the screen.

"I advise you to choose your next words very carefully, Mr. Deeks."

The two stared each other down for several minutes, both of them managing to communicate with unspoken words. Callen glanced back and forth between the two, gauging the situation as the others exchanged awkward looks with one another.

"I don't know about the two of you, but there's a teenage girl in the next room who may or may not be a murderer," Callen finally said, breaking the silence.

Deeks whipped his head around to face the older man, "She didn't kill anyone, she's innocent."

"I don't know what your relation to her is, Deeks, but we still need to conduct an interrogation."

"Not without her legal guardian."

Hetty's voice once again came from the monitor. "Then I suggest you get your ass in there, Mr. Deeks, because there are two dead children and their killer has yet to be apprehended."

With once last glare at his boss, Deeks stomped his way into the interrogation room.

"Wait..." Kensi said after a few seconds. "Deeks is her legal guardian?"

"Hetty, who is this girl?" Sam asked, voicing the question they all had on their minds.

"I'm afraid it is not my place to answer that question, Mr. Hannah," Hetty sighed. "I advise that you all do not hold your punches in this interview for Mr. Deeks is a wonderful attorney and I can assure you he has gone into defensive mode."

"Hetty, no offense but...this is Deeks we're talking about," Kensi said.

"Miss Blye, as of now, our priority is finding the killer of Laurel Perkins and Jackson Hemridge." Hetty eyed each of her agents, assuring that they all understood.

 **-LINE BREAK-**

Callen took a deep breath as he entered the interrogation room. He and Deeks had never been particularly close, but he enjoyed the lightheartedness that the detective brought to certain situations. It didn't seem that Deeks was going to be on their side with this one, but hopefully all they had to do was have Alex answer a few questions and this would be over. Hetty had assured them that Deeks would be cooperative or he would face very serious repercussions. As he entered the room, he noticed Alex slap Deeks on the thigh lightly, gesturing to their new visitor. Deeks glanced up at Callen, steeling his face.

"I don't have a file on you like we normally would because we were told it wouldn't be necessary," Callen began lightly as he took a seat. He opted to speak directly to Alex, ignoring Deeks for the time being.

He could practically feel Deeks' eyes boring into the side of his head. Sam and Kensi were both in the other room, watching intently. Neither Deeks nor Alex made a move to acknowledge his comment, so he continued.

"We could start with something easy," Callen suggested, sitting back in his seat. "What's your full name exactly? So far all I've got is 'Alex.'"

"My full name has nothing to do with this case," Alex pointed out. "I thought your job was to find Laurel and Jack's killer. Wouldn't my full name fall under the column 'irrelevant information?'"

Callen glanced at Deeks for a few seconds, but didn't receive any acknowledgement other than a small smirk that held a hint of pride. Deeks' influence on this girl's life certainly shone brightly through her smart, witty comments.

"It is irrelevant information, but it would be nice to know who I'm talking to."

"Unless it has to do with the case, she has nothing to say," Deeks spoke.

Callen barely recognized his voice. It was strong and authoritative, much different from the goofy, surfer drawl that they had all gotten used to. This was what Hetty had meant when she said Deeks had gone into lawyer-mode. It was damn good too...

"Well then, we'll stick to the case." Callen agreed with a smile, attempting to lessen the tension in the room. "How well did you know Laurel and Jackson?"

"We've known each other since elementary school—Laurel and I. We were never really close, though."

"From what I heard, that may be a bit of an understatement," Callen pushed. "She used to bully you."

Callen couldn't help but notice Deeks' twitch at his last statement, but his face remained stoic.

"She was a bitch," Alex admitted, receiving a disapproving glance from Deeks.

"Did the bullying ever stop?" Callen pressed on, not acknowledging her previous comment.

"Sort of...I guess," Alex responded quietly. "They still get mad at me for not wearing pink on Wednesdays though—if that's what you're asking...?" Alex smirked at him. Deeks nudged her in the side again.

"Do you hold a grudge against them for what they did?"

"Don't answer that," Deeks commanded before Alex could respond.

Eyeing Deeks suspiciously, Callen continued. "Any altercations between you and Laurel recently?"

"Don't answer that either," Deeks commanded again.

Callen sighed. This wasn't exactly what he would call cooperative, but for the sake of Deeks' job, he was hoping that Hetty wasn't tuning in to this little session.

"How about Jackson?" Callen asked, glancing at Deeks warily.

"What about him?" Alex questioned in return.

"How did the two of you get along?"

"He was nice, I guess. A lot nicer than Laurel ever was." Alex rolled her eyes, earning another glare from Deeks.

"Were the two of you together romantically? Did Jackson have feelings for you, or maybe the other way around?"

"Ew no...I never thought of him like that. He was just a nice person, I don't know." Alex responded defensively. This line of questioning seemed to make her uncomfortable for whatever reason, it may be the only way he'd be getting information out of her.

"Was there a chance that Laurel may have thought there was something going on between you two?" Callen asked, noticing Deeks tense again.

"I already told you that we weren't close, I wouldn't know," Alex responded with irritation. "That's a question you'd have to ask Yanira and Katie, they were her best friends."

"Interestingly, I spoke to Yanira and Katie." Callen clarified to her. "They implied that you may have had a bit of crush on Jackson, which would have translated to jealousy in Laurel's direction..."

"Don't respond to that," Deeks jumped in again. His advice was ignored by Alex however as she went right along to do exactly so.

"That is the dumbest inquiry I've ever heard-"

"Alex! I said don't respond!" Deeks turned to glare at her.

"Even if I was jealous of Laurel, which I wasn't; why would I kill them both?" Alex rolled her eyes at the agent. "And just a few weeks before graduation? If I wanted to be in a relationship with Jack, I would've killed Laurel a lot sooner so I would have more than fourteen days to get with Jackson before he left for boot camp. I'm not that stupid."

"You're incriminating yourself, Alex, take my advice for once and shut up." Deeks glared at the young girl.

As Alex turned to stare right back at Deeks, the realization finally hit Callen. The smart comments, the one liners, the nudges, the annoyed glances, the facial features, the stubbornness, the overprotection...

"You're siblings." Callen blurted out before he could stop himself.

Both individuals turned to acknowledge the outburst.

"Finally!" Alex yelled, "I thought it was gonna take you all forever!"

"Alex," Deeks warned.

Callen's mind was going a million miles a minute. He had known Deeks for eight years, and not once had he ever mentioned a cousin, a sibling, a little sister... It wasn't even in his file. As far as he knew, none of them had ever asked, but they were still his team. Deeks and Callen locked eyes; no wonder he hadn't said anything about who Alex was, how could he? After eight years, he couldn't very well drop such a bomb on his partners.

Partner. _Oh no, Kensi..._ He had lied to Kensi. A part of Callen felt responsible. If he had remembered about Kensi, he would have kept his mouth shut until he had a chance to speak to Deeks himself. Kensi was watching, she heard everything, she knew everything. Her partner had been lying to her for their entire friendship—or whatever those two were. As he and Deeks locked eyes, the thought seemed to hit the both of them like a ton of bricks.

Callen understood secrets. He understood the need for secrets. He may not understand too much about family, but he sure had his fair share of keeping his loved ones in the dark about important information. He and Sam had built their partnership on experience; the knowledge that they would each share their secrets when they were ready. Kensi and Deeks had built theirs on raw trust; the knowledge that there were no secrets to share. They knew everything there was to know about each other. This-this revelation about Deeks would destroy her, it would ruin their partnership, their friendship, their...thing. In that very moment, as he and Deeks shared that look, he realized how similar they truly were. He poured his deepest condolences into that look, attempting to share how truly sorry he felt about the storm the younger man would face as soon as he left this room. He tried to convey his willingness to stand with him, even though they had never been as close as either of them would have liked. If the teenage girl sitting across from him was any indication, this clearly was a matter of family, and in that very moment, Callen and Deeks were family.

Without breaking their gaze, Deeks whispered in a barely audible voice, "No more questions."

 **-LINE BREAK-**

 **There we go! After about three weeks of no updates, I feel kinda terrible so here's an early chapter. I'm also stuck in a house with no internet so I'm on 4G LTE and Hotspot for the remainder of this week. I have absolutely nothing to do except write. Thanks again, my awesome peeps.**

 **Review, review, review!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Alexandria Bella Brandel," Deeks said as he walked tentatively out of the interrogation room. "That's her full name...and yes, she's my sister."

Sam's eyes switched back and forth rapidly between the screen monitoring the girl inside the room and Deeks standing before them. How had they not known Deeks had a sister—a teenage sister? Teenagers aren't exactly easy to hide, so how in the world had Deeks managed to keep this one a secret for so long? One thing was for sure, it took effort. Deeks had purposely went out of his way to keep a massive portion of his life confidential. Sam would be lying if he didn't admit that it hurt...

Kensi's eyes were fixed on her boots, seemingly ignoring every word that was spoken around her. _How could he keep this from me? Why did he keep this from me? Did he not trust me?_ Kensi couldn't help but allow the insecurities to flood her mind as her partner approached, placing a warm hand on her arm.

"Kens..." Deeks began.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Kensi looked up at him with watery eyes.

Deeks could feel his chest tighten at the sight before him. His partner, his friend, his...something more, was broken because of him. She was doubting herself because of him. Water pooled beneath her brown, mismatched eyes. There was no anger there like he had expected, instead there was only hurt. He wanted to say yes, to say that he was going to tell her everything, to say that he never meant to keep this from her, to say that it wasn't his fault. The only problem seemed to be that it was his fault...he did mean to keep it from her...and if it weren't for today, she probably never would have found out about the other most important woman in his life. He couldn't lie to her, not again...

Deeks' silence seemed to tell Kensi all she needed to know. Shrugging his hand off of her arm, Kensi put her fingers up to her eyes to hide the tears that were soon to fall. As she pushed her way past the three men and out of the boat shed, she couldn't help but wonder if Deeks meant more to her than she ever did to him.

 **-LINE BREAK-**

"You owe her an explanation, Deeks," Sam said quietly after Kensi's emotional exit. "You owe us all and explanation." With that, Sam followed Kensi out.

"I know," Deeks muttered, fighting back his own emotions. Turning to Callen, he continued, "But right now, Alex is my priority, everything else has to wait."

"She isn't cleared yet, Deeks." Callen looked at the detective, speaking calmly. "We're all on your side here, but we have to do our jobs."

"She's innocent, Callen. I know my sister and she would never do this." Deeks said, staring at him with pleading eyes.

"I believe you, Deeks, I do. But she may have valuable information," Callen responded. "Give me a chance to talk to her—alone. If I go too far, you can step in and end it, I promise."

"Ten minutes," Deeks agreed. "You have ten minutes to get your information, then I'm taking her home."

Callen nodded, leaving to question the young girl in the room. Deeks stood rigid, staying back and honoring his agreement with Callen. As the agent entered the room, Deeks couldn't help but hold his breath, praying that Alex wouldn't say anything to get herself into anymore trouble.

 **-LINE BREAK-**

Callen closed the door gently, drawing Alex's attention to him as he strolled towards the table.

"Where's Marty?" Alex questioned, eyeing Callen suspiciously.

"On the other side of that wall," Callen gestured to the wall behind him.

"Why isn't he in here?" She asked anxiously.

Callen could tell that the girl was getting agitated and nervous at the absence of her older brother. She was scared and clearly didn't trust the agent sitting across from her. Regardless, he needed to get information so this entire situation could be over with.

"I'm just going to ask a few questions, you don't have to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable."

"Why isn't Marty in here?" She demanded again, ignoring his previous comment.

"He agreed to ten minutes of questioning. Again, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"Marty said it was okay?" She asked tentatively, narrowing her eyes.

"I will never lie to you, Alex," Callen said, attempting to win over the young girl's trust. "I promise."

"Fine," She agreed, taking a deep breath and sitting back in her chair.

"First question," Callen began. "Was Laurel acting strange leading up to last night?"

"I already told you, I barely spoke to Laurel. I have absolutely no idea."

"When was the last time you spoke to her?"

"I-I..." Alex stumbled over her response. "No one else is hearing this...right?"

"Only your brother and I," Callen said, glancing towards the camera in the corner.

Alex noticed his glance, turning to the camera as well. "I don't...I don't want him to hear either."

Within seconds, the door was swinging open on the hinges as Deeks came bounding in. "What the hell did you do, Alexandria?"

Alex jumped out of her chair, facing her older brother with determination. "I didn't do anything! Every time I try to do something on my own, you freak out! This is why I never tell you anything!"

"I freak out because you're always hiding things from me, Alex! I never know when you've gotten yourself into trouble, which it seems you've managed to do once again!"

"You think I'm a murderer!?" Alex screamed, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically.

Before Deeks could respond, Callen cut into the conversation. "Deeks, you said ten minutes. I still have seven...out, now."

Callen could practically see the anger radiating from Deeks' body as he turned on his heel and stomped out of the room. He slammed the door to the interrogation room closed and Alex retook her seat at the table. The two heard the very angry banging of the boatshed door, signaling that Deeks had left them to speak privately.

"It's just me now...what happened?" Callen asked, getting them back on track.

"The last time I saw Laurel was last night at the pizza place," Alex revealed. "And before you freak out like Marty did, both she and Jack were very much alive when I left."

"Was there anything different about either of them? Did something seem off about them? Were they acting weird at all?" Callen asked.

"Kind of, they were...fighting."

"What were they fighting about?"

"Me, I think...?" Alex scrunched up her face nervously. "Marty and I were having a movie night, so he ordered pizza. We stopped by the restaurant to pick up the food and I went in to pay while he stayed in the car. Laurel and Jackson just happened to be there."

"What happened?"

"Laurel thought I was there to see Jack and she got pissed. She started yelling at him and when he tried to calm her down, she pushed him away and threatened to break off their relationship."

"Did she approach you?"

Alex suddenly stood up from her chair, pulling up the left side of her shirt slightly, revealing a large purple bruise.

"She accused me of being a slut and sleeping aground with her boyfriend," Alex explained as she replaced her shirt and sat back down. "I'm not exactly one to take incorrect accusations if you haven't noticed. I called her a bitch and she pushed me into a table and gave me that bruise.

"The manager came out then, and since I had already gotten our order, I just left before he could say anything to me. Marty always freaks out about those things, as you saw a little while ago. I didn't want him to find out that I had gotten into a fight, he would be...disappointed. I hate disappointing him," Alex explained. Her last sentence was added quietly, as if she were saying it more to herself than to Callen.

"Do you know anything about what happened after you left?" Callen asked, filing away her insecurity for a later conversation.

"I think they got kicked out, but honestly I'm not sure."

"About what time did you run into the two?"

"When Marty and I got home is what about 9:30...so maybe 9:15 or so?"

"Was there anyone else that Laurel and Jackson may have had a problem with?"

"I may not have liked her too much, but she was pretty cool when she wanted to be. I don't know why anyone would've wanted her gone."

"Why was Laurel so convinced that you and Jackson had feelings for one other?"

"He was always nice to me," Alex answered. "We were never particularly close or anything, but we made each other laugh. I guess she just didn't like that."

"What about Jack?" Callen asked. "Anyone who may have wanted to hurt him?"

"He got into his fair share of fights, but I doubt anyone hated him enough to kill him." Alex shrugged, staring down at her open hands.

Callen could tell she was beginning to retreat into herself. His ten minutes were almost up and he still hadn't gotten any useful information that could lead them to the killer. Other than some high school drama that he was quite thankful he never had to deal with, Alex didn't seem to know anything about how Laurel and Jackson ended up in that alley.

"Did you see anyone else around the restaurant that looked suspicious or out of place?" Callen asked.

"Not that I can remember...maybe...? I-I don't know." Alex sounded exhausted by the day's turn of events.

As Callen was scooting back in his chair to end the interview, the door burst open and Deeks bounded in.

"Ten minutes are up," He said glaring at Callen. "Alex, we're leaving. Now."

Alex stood, shooting an apologetic look at Callen for her brother's abruptness. As she was walking towards her brother, the thought finally hit Callen.

"One last question," Callen called out before either of them could leave the room. Both siblings stopped in their tracks and turned to face him.

"When I cornered you at the school, you took me down pretty easily...how?"

"My overly-protective elder brother is an undercover detective that is also employed by NCIS," Alex switched her gaze between the two men. "What do you think?"

Callen chuckled at her sarcasm and leaned back in his chair. "Definitely Deeks' sister," He said with a smile, glancing at the detective in question.

Deeks smirked slightly at the agent's comment, but quickly steeled his face once more. "Let's go, Al."

With that the two left the room and seconds later, the boatshed. As Callen sat in the interrogation room thinking over the last few hours, he couldn't help but realize what an odd day it had been. Sam was right when he said that Deeks owed them all an explanation, especially Kensi. The look on her face when Deeks had told them all his sister's name was one he would never forget...

 _"Alexandria Bella Brandel,"_ He had said with his eyes trained on the floor.

 _Hold on... Brandel?_

 **-LINE BREAK-**

 **Review, review, review!**


	6. Chapter 6

_"Alexandria Bella Brandel,"_ He had said with his eyes trained on the floor.

 _Hold on... Brandel? Why wasn't her last name "Deeks," like her brother? Did they have different fathers? Was this Deeks' way of keeping his sister safe—changing her last name so no one could trace him back to her?_

There were too many questions shooting around Callen's head. Not a single one of them could be answered without a very intrusive background check; one he was quite sure Deeks would not appreciate. His only option was to give Deeks the time and space to explain to them himself, when he was ready. He better hurry though, because a confused and hurt Kensi was a very dangerous Kensi.

A small vibration coming from his right pocket alerted Callen to a new text message. As he rose from his chair and walked from the interrogation room, Callen pulled out his phone, only to see a text from Deeks appear on the lock screen.

 _It's Alex. Marty is acting weird._

Callen quickly swiped on the notification and put in his password, bringing up the text that came from Deeks' phone. As he was drafting out a reply, more texts began to flood in, each one only seconds after the other.

 _He told me to pack my stuff and enough clothes for a few days_

 _He's in the bathroom rn btw_

 _I saw ur # in his phone and didn't know who else to contact_

 _I think he's planning to leave town for awhile_

 _I don't want him to get in trouble_

 _He won't tell me anything but maybe he'll talk to you_

 _Please make sure he's okay_

 _And I also don't wanna get in trouble either_

 _Isn't there some rule about suspects skipping town or something?_

 _Does it apply if the suspect is underage and her legal guardian is skipping town?_

 _Cause then technically I'm not doing anything wrong_

 _Right?_

By the end of Alex' long stream of messages, Callen was on his way out the door and to Deeks' apartment. Deeks clearly knew more about the case itself than he cared to share; especially if he felt the need to leave town with their prime witness. Opting to leave Sam and Kensi out of this small situation, Callen pulled up to a traffic light, grabbing his phone to text back Alex before the light turned green.

 _Don't leave. I'm on my way._

A simple thumbs-up emoji was all he received in return as he replaced his cellphone and stepped on the gas. In the small amount of time he had known Alex, he was able to deduce that she was not one to admit she needed help. The fact that she had willingly contacted Callen for assistance must have meant that there was something very wrong about the way Deeks was behaving. So odd that his own sister didn't know what the correct course of action should be.

As Callen pulled up to the apartment complex, he could make out Deeks loading his and Alex' bags into the backseat of his car. Alex stood stubbornly with her arms folded across her chest, glaring at her older brother. Callen pulled up in the guest parking only several spots away before jumping out of the car and approaching the two. Alex noticed him first, narrowing her eyes at the agent, but gave no indication of their text exchange. Deeks turned, noticing the slight change in his sister's demeanor.

"Al, get in the car," Deeks mumbled to her as he prepared himself for his conversation with Callen.

Alex huffed with annoyance as she crawled into the backseat and pulled out her cellphone. What she did on that thing 24/7 was a mystery to Deeks, but it seemed to keep her happy and occupied, so he continued to pay the cellphone bills every month. That's all he wanted after all; for her to be happy. If 15 GB of storage and a clear front-view camera made her happy, then he would happily spend as much as it required.

As Callen approached the car, Deeks once again steeled his face, refusing to show any of the spoils of emotions flowing through his body. "I'm not having this conversation with you, Callen."

"Is she okay?" Callen asked, glancing at Alex sprawled out in the backseat.

"Once I finish this, she'll be fine."

"And what is 'this' exactly?" Callen tilted his head at the detective.

"Lucas Roberts," Deeks sighed. "He's been trying to get my attention for years, ever since I was back at LAPD. This time, he's got it."

"You're gonna have to give me a better explanation than that, Deeks."

"Roberts is your killer," Deeks said, placing his palm against the window of the car. "He didn't care about the kids though, he was drawing me out."

"How could the killing of two teenagers be an attempt to draw you out, Deeks?" Callen narrowed his eyes at the detective.

"He must've figured out my connection to Alex. I don't know how he knew that we'd go to that restaurant last night, but he killed those kids to mess with me."

Called looked at Deeks suspiciously, attempting to say his words without voicing them. _How did Deeks know that Alex had run into Laurel and Jackson that night? He had left the boatshed for the interview, after all._

"I know a lot more than she gives me credit for," Deeks smirked. "I just don't always push it."

"If you know who this guy is, Deeks, you need to help us bring him in."

Deeks was already shaking his head when Callen finished his statement. "I can't do that, Callen, and you know it."

"Help us bring this guy to justice, Deeks—the right way."

"I'll bring justice to him the same way he has managed to avoid it for years," Deeks sneered. He lowered his voice so as not to alert Alex in the car, but the venom was still very much there. "Lucas Roberts has killed and tortured and murdered innocent people. He has escaped justice by leaving a trail of carnage and suffering wherever he goes. I have tried, for years, to bring him to justice the right way, Callen. It doesn't work, and this time he has come after Alex. I'm not going to sit back and let him hurt her or anyone else I care about."

"Deeks, you don't know that this guy is after Alex for sure." Callen reassured the younger man.

"I am absolutely positive that he is. He killed those teens to show me how easily he could've done the same to Alex if he wanted to. Next, he's gonna come after you and Sam, my friends at the force, Kensi. The asshole just wants to see how much pain I can take before he kills me himself. That's all it's ever bean about for him; making pain a game and seeing who's strong enough to win. I'm not gonna let him win, not this time."

"I understand," Callen said as Deeks scoffed in return. "I really do, Deeks, but the parents of Laurel and Jackson deserve to know that their children's killer is rotting behind a jail cell, not shot in the head somewhere by a detective that went rogue."

"I can't let him hurt anyone else, Callen." Deeks' voice shook with emotion as he tried to keep in the rage and grief that circulated throughout his body.

"Then do it right, Deeks—do it for Jackson and Laurel...do it for Alex."

"I am doing in for Alex!" Deeks yelled, slamming his palm against the window of the car. "She is what this is all about! She can't protect herself like you all can! If Roberts comes after her, she won't be able to take it! I won't be able to take it..."

"Hetty would kill you if she knew what you were planning," Callen pointed out calmly.

"That's why I didn't tell Hetty," Deeks steeled himself once more, standing up straight.

"Sam and Kensi wouldn't approve either."

"I spent eight years looking for their approval...I'm done now." Deeks' eyes held a hint of sadness in them as he made that statement.

"I guess we better keep this between us then," Callen called out as he strolled to his car and grabbed the overnight bag that he kept in the backseat.

"We?" Deeks said with one eyebrow raised when the agent returned.

"Well it doesn't seem I'm going to stop you," Callen pointed out. "And if this guy is as bad as you say he is, you and a sixteen-year-old aren't gonna be able to take him on your own."

"You're...gonna help me?" Deeks asked with confusion.

"I'm not gonna help you kill a man, Deeks," Callen stared into the detective's eyes. "I'm gonna make sure you don't get yourself killed."


	7. Chapter 7

**To answer an inquiry I got in the reviews last chapter, this story does take place before Deeks and Kensi get together. I just think it's a bit more interesting and allows for more freedom when writing if they aren't together as yet.**

 **-LINE BREAK-**

"So...where exactly are we going?" Alex asked again for the millionth time, poking her head in between the two men in the front seats.

"You will see eventually," Deeks breathed out to his little sister.

"You told me that fifteen minutes ago, and I have still yet to see a single thing other than...trees." Alex gestured to the window and rolled her eyes. The green brush passed by in a blur as they drove.

Deeks sighed again from the driver's seat, this time ignoring his sister and opting rather to pay attention to road ahead of him.

"Are you really gonna ignore me?" Alex glared at the side of his head. "That is beyond immature, you know that right?"

Callen's muffled chuckle from the passenger seat caught the young girl's attention. She whipped her head around to look at the agent with narrowed eyes.

"I'm not even completely sure why you're here in the first place," Alex challenged him, drawing another chuckle from his body.

"She's your sister alright," Callen joked with Deeks, choosing not to respond to the girl.

"No she's not," Deeks countered. "She's adopted."

"I am not adopted!" Alex yelled, smacking her brother's shoulder lightly.

"Yeah you are," Deeks protested. "Where do you think the green eyes came from?"

"It's a recessive allele!" Alex leaned back in her seat with a huff, grabbing her phone again before tossing it onto the chair once more. "There's no service out here, Marty! Where the hell are we going and when will we be there?"

"We'll be there when we get there, Alex!" Deeks responded, tightening his hold on the steering wheel ever so slightly.

"Wow, you're so helpful..." Alex rolled her eyes sarcastically and pulled her earphones from her pocket. It wasn't long before Alex was staring out the window as her music played loud enough for both men to hear, despite her earbuds.

Deeks glanced in the rearview mirror at Alex before shaking his head and turning to Callen. "Sorry, she can get like that at times."

"It's actually nice," Callen said, keeping his gaze on the road. "Hearing you two bicker like actual siblings...it's nice to hear what family sounds like."

"Yeah well, be thankful that you hear this part instead of the 'I'm going on a date with some random guy I barely know and you have to be nice to him' argument," Deeks cringed at the memory.

"I can imagine," Callen smiled lightly. "Can I ask you a question?"

Deeks glanced at the agent in the passenger seat tentatively before nodding.

"Alexandria Bella Brandel," Callen narrowed his eyes, gathering his thoughts. "That's what you said her name was."

Deeks nodded once more, attempting to interpret the agent's line of questioning. It had simply been a way of life for so long that Deeks barely even noticed that he and his sister had different surnames anymore. At first, it was something he was always conscious about, but somewhere along the way it just became another fact of life. Just as simple as the colour of the sky and the heat of the sun.

"Why isn't her last name 'Deeks,' like yours?" Callen asked, turning to the detective. "Did you change it to make sure no one ever found a connection between you two, or-"

"No," Deeks interrupted Callen's trail of thought. "No, she has her father's last name."

"You have different fathers?" Callen narrowed his eyes again.

"In a way, we sort of did." Deeks chuckled sadly. "His name was Gordon John Brandel. He was my father too, but he never acted like one. The man spent more time at the bar than he did with me. When he was home, he was drunk, and he tended to take out his pent up anger on my mother and I. I shot him when I was eleven and police and CPS got involved, but he was back within a year's time and it just got worse. As soon as I graduated high school, I was out of that hellhole. I tried to get my mother to come with me, but she kept going on about how much she loved him and all that crap. I got accepted into UCLA and I left without her."

"When did Alex come into the picture?" Callen asked, choosing not to touch on the obvious subject of abuse. He had never been much of a family man, but it was absurd to him that Deeks' own mother would rather allow her child to suffer than to get the hell out of that house.

"A few months after I left for college, I got a call from Ray. I had asked him to keep tabs on my mother, keep her safe if he could. He informed me that she was pregnant again." Deeks sighed, recalling the memory with the same emotions he felt when it happened. "I didn't want to go back, so I asked him to keep tabs on the baby too, whenever my mom happened to give birth. He did. I trusted Ray to protect my family, but I couldn't live with myself knowing that there was a newborn in the same house as that monster..."

"So you went back." Callen nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I did. I was prepared to take them both to court; my father for domestic abuse and my mother for child neglect. I prepared a speech and everything. I even practiced throwing a punch so I could take Brandel down if he tried anything. When I got to the house...he was sitting right there. He was on the porch, laughing and smiling with her as he fed her baby formula. He looked like an actual father..." Deeks furrowed his eyebrows as if still trying to understand what he had witnessed that day.

"I spent a week in that house and not once did he even raise his voice. He was calm and collected, almost as if he had turned his whole life around. I saw him with Alex and he loved her to death. He would sing to her before bed and watch Sesame Street in the mornings... It was the weirdest thing I ever saw. He was a completely different person. I didn't buy it for a second though. I just couldn't believe that the same man who had given me bruises all over my face for eighteen years was now giving his daughter kisses and tucking her in at night. I mean, the guy even got a job for her! In the years that I lived in that house, I never once saw him bring home an actual paycheck, and the second she was born, he had a job...?" Deeks was rambling as if he was simply speaking to himself now, Callen sat forgotten in the passenger seat.

"I went back to UCLA, but Ray was still keeping an eye on them to make sure it wasn't some fake persona he put on to fool me. I didn't go back for years...until I heard that Gordon had gotten into a car accident. He didn't make it. I returned home to help my mom plan a funeral, but she wasn't there." Deeks stared into the distance, recalling the memory. "I found Alex sitting in the kitchen crying. She told me that mom had gone out to buy groceries...three days before I arrived. The police never found her; not even a body."

"I'm sorry, Deeks." Callen said softly to the younger man, taking in the story that the detective had just shared. It was heartbreaking, a far cry from the easy, laid back joker they had all grown used to over the past few years. It was a wonder that Deeks was able to stay positive and raise an orphaned teenage girl, despite the horrific past he had endured.

"You can't tell Alex," Deeks breathed out shakily.

Callen glanced at the man with confusion. _He wasn't planning to mention it to her anyway, but now he was curious._

"She doesn't know about what Gordon used to be like. I never told her," Deeks clarified. "To her, he was the perfect father. He actually loved her. I won't tarnish her memory of the man she thinks is a hero. I-I can't do that to her."

"You wouldn't be tarnishing her memory, Deeks...you'd be telling her the truth,"

Callen argued softly.

"It would be selfish."

"She would want to know, Deeks."

"She doesn't need to know."

"But she deserves to know."

"She deserves the world," Deeks said, facing the agent beside him briefly. "She deserves so much that I could never give her. Sometimes I wonder if she would've been better off if Gordon had survived..."

"Deeks, that's ridiculous." Callen stated, leaving no room for argument. After what the detective had just revealed to him, he wouldn't allow him to second guess his ability to care for Alex when opposed to a drunk who would abuse his wife and child for little to no reason.

"Callen, you don't understand. He loved her. He was different with her. Gordon could've done so much more for her than I'll ever be able to do. He was her father in every way that I'm not."

"That doesn't matter, Deeks. She loves you, and I highly doubt she'd give you up for a man like Gordon."

"That's because she doesn't know what she's missing," Deeks smiled sadly as tears began to form. "Either way, you cannot tell her."

Callen opened his mouth to convince Deeks again, but was interrupted before he could do so.

"Tell me what?" Alex said, pushing her head between them once more. "What can't you guys tell me?"

Callen panicked for a moment and turned to Deeks for an appropriate response.

"Where we're going," Deeks supplied quickly with a teasing smile into the rearview mirror.

"Tell me! Tell me, please?" Alex whined.

Callen smiled, shaking his head. Deeks had given up so much, sacrificed so much, just so his younger sister could live the life of a normal teenage girl. He had finished law school, become a police officer, and kept her a secret from his colleagues so she could go to school, text her friends, have crushes on guys, visit the cinemas, fall in love with actors, cry over the latest plot twist in her favourite book, or the unexpected character death in that TV show she loves. He did everything he didn't want to so she could do everything he didn't get to.

And as much of a wonderful kid Alex was, she barely even noticed.

 _ **-**_ **LINE BREAK-**

 **Heyyo! I just wanted to let you all know real quick that I and a friend of mine have started a new tumblr page called "Reading Therapy." My username is "antisocialbutterfly4." The main purpose of this page is create a sort of community that allows people to share the books they've read and get out of their reading slump with suggestions from other users. I personally know that it's really hard to find a good book that I enjoy, so I think it would be fun to have people from different walks of life share what books they think would be right for me based on which genres I like and vice versa. Writers can also exchange ideas or prompts if they'd like. Anyway, it would mean a lot if a few people followed the page or shared it with some friends. Thanks!**

 **Review, review, review!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey Kens, have you heard from Deeks since the boatshed?" Sam asked as he walked into the bullpen. Two hours had passed and neither Callen nor Deeks were answering their cellphones.

 _The interrogation shouldn't be taking this long._ Sam thought. _Especially if that kid is as innocent as Deeks claims she is._

"Why would I know where he is, Sam?" Kensi asked monotonously as she kept her eyes trained on her paperwork.

"You're his partner, Kens," Sam growled with irritation as he flopped into his desk chair. "And unfortunately mine won't answer his damn phone!"

"I thought I was his partner too, but apparently I've been making a fool of myself for the past eight years," Kensi smiled at the older man, a little too sweetly. "Deeks doesn't trust me."

"That's ridiculous," Sam glared at her. "Deeks has trusted you with his life half a million times alone since he got to NCIS. You know that."

"Exactly my point, Sam. He trusts me with his life, but he doesn't trust me with his little sister or his-" Kensi stopped abruptly, realizing the words that almost slipped from her lips.

"Or his what?" Sam probed.

"Or his...his heart," Kensi admitted. Kensi slowly left her desk, approaching Sam's so as not to broadcast their conversation to people passing by. She quietly sat down in Deeks' chair, turning to face the man as he did the same. "Deeks had years to tell me about this, and he never did. Even if we got past this somehow, and everything had a happy ending. I'll always know that he doesn't trust me."

"Kensi, he just wanted to protect her, you know that." Sam shook his head with sympathy for the younger agent. "I've known you and the team longer than Deeks has, and it still took me years to tell you all about my family. Take it from someone who understands, he never meant to hurt you with this."

"It's not about that, Sam. I know Deeks would never hurt me." Kensi sighed. "What if...one day everything is fine. We're happy and everything has worked out exactly how it's supposed to. You're with your family, Nell and Eric are happy, and Callen is with...a cat or something, and Deeks and I have finally figured things out... If he doesn't trust me enough to take care of his little sister, how could he ever trust me enough to take care of...other things...?"

"...Other things?" Sam stared with confusion.

"Yes, Sam." Kensi lowered her voice. "Tiny living things...that poop, and sleep, and breathe."

"Ohh," Sam's eyes widened with realization.

"Exactly." Kensi shook her head with grief. "He doesn't trust me with a sixteen year old, who, I'm pretty sure, can keep herself alive. How will he ever trust me with a smaller thing that needs other people?"

"Well first off, stop calling them 'things.' It's not very reassuring." Sam patted her knee lightly as Kensi glared at him. "And secondly, family is complicated, you've had your own experience with that. Sometimes there's a certain dynamic-"

"A dynamic that I would mess up, got it." Kensi nodded with frustration.

"That's not what I'm saying, Kensi. I've barely spent ten minutes with the kid and I can already tell how much Deeks loves her," Sam reassured the younger woman. "Sometimes love requires you to put aside what's best for you and do what's best for them, no matter how painful it is or who might get to hurt."

"So you think he did the right thing then?"

"I think whatever he did or is planning to do, will be in the benefit of his sister." Sam stood, grabbing his phone to try Callen once more. "And as long as he's doing what's best for her, I think he's doing the right thing."

 **-LINE BREAK-**

"Sam is calling me," Callen stated as he thumbed through the line of missed calls and voicemails.

"He called me too," Deeks responded, gesturing to his own phone on the dashboard.

"If we don't answer, he's gonna stick Nell and Eric on our backs." Callen turned to the detective. "For all we know, Hetty already has."

"That's why we'll be switching them off once we arrive."

"Why didn't we switch them off when we left?"

"In the very likely case that something does happen and we need backup, I wouldn't want to make the task of tracking us down too hard."

"Just hard enough that it won't slow us down."

"Exactly."

"What exactly is the plan here, may I ask?" Alex interrupted. "You turn off your phones so your coworkers can't find you, go on some super secret spy agents' road trip, and then...what?"

"Don't worry about it," Deeks responded nonchalantly.

"No! Stop dodging my questions! What's going on? I'm not stupid, you know? I can tell when there's something wrong," Alex leaned forward in her seat, glaring at her brother through the rearview mirror. "Stop lying to me and tell me what's going on."

Deeks flicked his indicator on, turning onto a dirt track on the right side of the road. The track ran through the green luscious forest for several meters before ending abruptly. All that was visible were the acres of trees and the path back towards the main road. Switching off the car, Deeks turned to his younger sister, earning a confused glance from both her and Callen.

"Al, there is a lot going on that you can't possibly understand right now," Deeks sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "But the gist of it is that there is a very dangerous man and I am beyond tired of his continued need to go after the people I care about. I am putting an end to it, once and for all."

Alex looked at Deeks with wide eyes, glancing back and forth between him and the agent in the passenger seat. "Alone?" She asked disbelievingly. "You're going after a very dangerous man without your team? Isn't that the point of a partner and a team? So that you guys can work together?"

"This is bigger than our team, Alex. I have to do this alone, and they'll only try to stop me."

"Yeah! Because it's a stupid plan, Marty! Good to know your team has more common sense than you do!" She turned to Callen, staring at him with he same disbelief. "And you're just gonna let him do this?"

Callen glanced at Deeks tentatively before responding to the girl. "It isn't my choice, you and I both know he would be doing this whether I agreed or not."

"I didn't call you here to encourage his self-destructive nonsense! I thought you were going to make sure he didn't get himself murdered!"

"And that's exactly what I plan to do, but I can't do that if I'm not here."

"Wait, hold on." Deeks held up his hands and narrowed his eyes. He pointed towards Alex. "You called him?"

"Yes! Obviously, Sherlock! Why else would he be here?" Alex shrugged exasperatedly and rolled her eyes. "Don't leave your phone unlocked around me unless you want me to snoop."

"This can't be happening," Deeks mumbled to himself. "Alright, out of the car, let's go!"

"Where are we going?" Alex yelled again as she pushed the car door open and grabbed her bag.

"There's a cabin a few miles from here, we better start walking if we want to get there before sunset."

"Who exactly does this cabin belong to?" Callen asked the younger man.

"...It's registered under Gordon John Brandel." Deeks stared at Callen, reminding him of their previous agreement. Alex had no idea of their father, and wouldn't know.

"Dad had a cabin out here?" Alex asked, glancing between the two. There was something going on and it was a lot more than the freaky murderous dude they were hunting down. "How come you never told me about it?"

"I kinda forgot it existed until now," Deeks explained. Callen looked aver at the way he fidgeted his fingers and ran his hand through his hair. _Deeks was lying._

"How do you forget that our family owns a cabin?" Alex asked, more out of curiosity than suspicion.

"The last time I was here was during winter break of fourth grade with Dad and Ray."

"Uncle Ray used to come here too?" Alex asked with wide, surprised eyes. "How come everyone knew about this thing except for me? I would've loved to come here for Christmas..."

Deeks shook his head subtly, closing his eyes tightly and beginning to walk ahead in the direction of the cabin. Callen could guess that it wasn't a lack of remembrance than caused Deeks to never come back here, it was bad memories...very bad memories.

"Well, considering that it's been more than twenty years since I've last seen the place, it would be a good idea to start going. I won't be very good tracking our path in the dark," Deeks called after them as he locked the car with a beep and trudged ahead, leaving both Alex and Callen behind.

"He's being weird," Alex said, staring after him. She turned to Callen, "Do know what's wrong with him?"

"I do," Callen responded. He didn't want to lie to the girl, but he also couldn't betray Deeks' trust like this. He had promised not to tell her after all.

"So you'll make sure he's okay, then?" Alex narrowed her eyes at the agent.

"I will," Callen agreed. He furrowed his brows at the young girl, surprised at her willingness to let the problem go and trust that it would be handled.

"Good," Alex nodded and began to walk away. The next time she spoke, it was with such softness that Callen could barely dicepher her words. "Because I need him."

 **-LINE BREAK-**

 **Heyyo! I'm trying to come up with a good book of the month for my Reading Therapy page on Tumblr. It's for this upcoming July. If anyone has any suggestions, I would be very grateful!**

 **Review, review, review!**


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